Budget Highlights

The Department of State and USAID are the lead U.S. agencies responsible for carrying out the President's foreign policy agenda, which includes developing and executing U.S. foreign policy and interacting with foreign governments and international organizations. The Department of State and USAID budget requests also represent critical components of the U.S. national security budget, along with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and are vital to securing U.S. national security interests.

The diplomatic and development capacity forged with U.S. foreign assistance allows the United States to build its leadership capacity in the global community and address the many challenges of today's world. Foreign policy and development professionals - working on behalf of the American people - pursue priorities such as responding to humanitarian crises, combating terrorism, advancing democratic values, negotiating nonproliferation and environmental treaties, facilitating free enterprise, promoting U.S. exports, and assisting American citizens abroad.

The annual budget request to Congress for funding is presented in two volumes: the Congressional Budget Justification for Department of State Operations, and the Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Assistance. Both components of the budget and key performance measures link directly to the joint strategic goals of the Department of State and USAID. State and USAID are committed to demonstrating the relationship between their budget requests to Congress and the performance of the programs that these budgets support. The chart on the following page reflects the combined FY 2013 State Operations and Foreign Assistance Budget by strategic goal and includes a table listing the actual FY 2011, FY 2012 and the requested FY 2013 resources.

State Department FY 2013 Budget: The budget request for Department of State Operations totals $17.9 billion (not including fees) and includes resources to carry out a robust foreign policy that is leading the world in solving the most complex challenges of our time, from thwarting international terrorism to stopping the spread of catastrophic weapons, strengthening the global economy, advancing human rights and universal values, and assisting American citizens overseas. In keeping with these economic times, the budget reflects hard choices based on a clear view of where a dollar of funding could have the greatest impact. The request represents the Department's ongoing investments to advance America's security and economic interests.

Highlights of the State Operations budget include supporting diplomatic operations in the frontline states of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq along with the transition of Department of Defense activities to civilian agencies in Iraq. In addition to the Department's work in the frontline states, it is focused on preventing and responding to conflict and crises worldwide. So, even as the Department works to prevent and respond to urgent conflicts, it is also responding to longer-term challenges to human and economic security, such as health, hunger, and climate change. Moreover, State must build civilian power, and provide employees safe, secure, and functional facilities and the resources they need to do their job.

Foreign Assistance FY 2013 Budget: The FY 2013 foreign assistance appropriations request totals $33.749 billion. The budget will advance U.S. security interests with critical investments in the promotion of stability and security in the frontline states of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. Other aid investments will be made to create sustained capacity building, peace, and economic growth within nations receiving assistance. Key initiatives in the budget include food security, climate change, health, and gender issues. FY 2013 will also target support for USAID Forward, an ambitious reform effort to strengthen and transform USAID, reviving USAID's science and technology capacity, deepening USAID's commitment to results-based planning and thorough monitoring and evaluation, and improving USAID's knowledge management approach. Funding will also foster innovation through the Development Innovation Ventures program and place additional focus on public-private partnerships.

1 FY 2011 and FY 2012 funding were requested under the old Strategic Goal framework for both State and Foreign Operations. (back to text)2 FY 2011 Actual column for State Operations includes Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) for State Operations. Summed values may contain discrepancies due to rounding. (back to text)3 OCO funding for FY 2012 includes Office of Inspector General - Middle East Regional Office (OIG-MERO), Conflict Stabilization Operations (CSO), Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs (ECE), and Embassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance (ESCM). (back to text)4 State Department Office of Inspector General only. USAID Inspector General budget included in Strategic Goals allocation. (back to text)5 Mandatory funding for the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund is not added to summed totals. (back to text)6 Resources for these accounts and offices represent programs that support the Department of State as an institution rather than diplomatic, consular and management programs linked to Strategic Goals and Priorities, and therefore are not allocated by Strategic Goal. (back to text)

STATE OPERATIONS AND FOREIGN OPERATIONS BUDGET RESOURCES BY STRATEGIC GOAL
Fiscal Year 2013

Advance U.S. interests and values through public diplomacy and programs that connect the United States and Americans to the world.

1,621

N/A

49

0

Build a 21st Century workforce; and achieve U.S. Government operational and consular efficiency and effectiveness, transparency and accountability; and a secure U.S. Government presence internationally.

1 FY 2013 funding was requested under the new Strategic Goal framework. (back to text)2 State Department Office of Inspector General only. USAID Inspector General budget included in Strategic Goals allocation. (back to text)3 Mandatory funding for the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund is not added to summed totals. (back to text)4 Resources for these accounts and offices represent programs that support the Department of State as an institution rather than diplomatic, consular and management programs linked to Strategic Goals and Priorities, and therefore are not allocated by Strategic Goal. (back to text)

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